Is It Worth Using Reusable Diapers?

2022-06-22

I will try to answer the question: Is using reusable diapers worth it? Can switching to reusable diapers really bring tangible—let's emphasize that again—tangible savings? Savings not in the range of a few dollars, but potentially hundreds or even thousands.

Let’s take a look at the entire diapering period, from birth to 2 years old.

The prices of reusable diapers are taken from the Pupus.pl store, without considering any discounts or promotions.

How Many Diapers Does a Child Use?

As children grow, they tend to use fewer diapers each day. Around their second birthday, many begin to use a potty, which reduces the need for diapers. We can break down the time spent wearing diapers into three main periods:

Intensive diapering: Age 0-3 months
Moderate diapering: Age 3-12 months
Mild diapering: Age 1-2 years

Of course, the age of two is just an approximation. Some children potty train earlier, while others take longer. However, two years is the typical age when a child should begin to gain control over their bodily functions. Let’s consider this age as the cutoff point.

Let’s calculate how many disposable diapers are needed for the entire diapering period. We’ll assume that a month has an average of 30 days.

Intensive diapering: 14 diapers per day
Diapers per month: 14 x 30 = 420
Total for intensive diapering period: 420 x 3 = 1260 diapers
Moderate diapering: 8 diapers per day
Diapers per month: 8 x 30 = 240
Total for moderate diapering period: 240 x 9 = 2160 diapers
Mild diapering: 5 diapers per day
Diapers per month: 5 x 30 = 150
Total for mild diapering period: 150 x 12 = 1800 diapers

Total diapers used for the entire period:
1260 + 2160 + 1800 = 5220 diapers

That’s a lot of diaper changes, isn’t it?

Cost of Reusable vs. Disposable Diapers

Now, let’s compare the costs associated with both disposable and reusable diapers.

A. Disposable Diapers
Disposable diapers are, well, disposable. Every time you change a diaper, you use a new one.

I checked the prices of several popular disposable diapers available at mainstream stores. The prices range from 0.42 to 1.60 PLN per diaper, with larger sizes costing more. For simplicity, let’s assume the average price per diaper is 0.60 PLN.

The total cost of disposable diapers for the entire diapering period is:
5220 x 0.60 PLN = 3132 PLN

B. Reusable Diapers
The most economical reusable diapers are wraps. To simplify, let’s calculate using only wraps and then double the amount just in case.

For a full diapering period, you will need 6 wraps and 24 inserts. The cost of inserts can vary widely—ranging from cheap gauze diapers to more expensive inserts with additional layers. I’ll assume the average cost of an insert is 13 PLN.

Cost breakdown:
Wraps: 6 x 60 PLN = 360 PLN
Inserts: 24 x 13 PLN = 312 PLN
Total cost for the basic set of reusable diapers: 672 PLN

As you can see, the cost of reusable diapers is significantly lower than even the cheapest disposable option. Even if we double this amount to account for different sizes or slightly more expensive options, it’s still much cheaper than disposable diapers.
In fact, compared to disposable diapers, the savings are quite significant—currently, we’re looking at a savings of 2460 PLN. Moreover, when used for a second child, these savings increase. High-quality reusable diapers can easily last through the diapering period of a second or even third child! It’s worth considering how much money can be saved.

Additional Costs of Diapering

Both disposable and reusable diapers come with additional costs.

Disposable Diapers - Additional Costs

Trash Bags
Using disposable diapers requires extra trash bags. Assuming a 35L bag can hold 15 used diapers, and a pack of 25 scented trash bags costs 6 PLN, the total cost for trash bags during the diapering period would be:

25 bags = 375 diapers
Total for diapering period: 5220 / 375 = 14 rolls of bags
Cost: 14 x 6 PLN = 84 PLN

Diaper Cream
In most cases, when using disposable diapers, we protect the child’s skin with diaper cream. This also generates additional costs (which, by the way, don’t occur with reusable diapers).
A popular cream costs 34 PLN for 100 grams. Assuming you use 0.5 grams per diaper change, one tube will last for 200 diaper changes. Over the entire diapering period, you’ll need approximately 26 tubes of cream, resulting in a total cost of:

26 x 34 PLN = 884 PLN

However, diaper cream is typically only used during the first year of life, so we adjust this cost accordingly.
For the first year:
3420 / 200 = 17 tubes of cream
Cost for the first year: 17 x 34 PLN = 578 PLN

Reusable Diapers - Additional Costs

For reusable diapers, you’ll need a diaper pail (45 PLN) and possibly a wet bag for travel (32 PLN).

Cost of Washing Reusable Diapers
Reusable diapers require regular washing, which undoubtedly generates costs. Let's calculate:

Laundry Detergent
The price of detergent varies, but assuming you buy a 1kg pack for 20 PLN, which lasts for 50 washes, you’ll need 7 packs for two years. The cost of detergent is:
7 x 20 PLN = 140 PLN
Sanitizing Powder
You might also use a sanitizing powder for extra cleanliness, which costs around 19.99 PLN per pack. You’ll need 14 boxes over two years, totaling:
14 x 19.99 PLN = 279.86 PLN
Water and Electricity for Washing
If you wash diapers every other day (approximately 15 washes per month), the cost per wash (including detergent, water, and electricity) is about 1.50 PLN. Over two years, the total cost for washing would be:
15 x 1.50 PLN x 24 months = 540 PLN

Summary of Costs:

Disposable Diapers:
Total cost of diapers: 3132 PLN
Additional costs: 84 PLN (trash bags) + 578 PLN (diaper cream) = 662 PLN
Total: 3794 PLN
Reusable Diapers:
Cost of diapers: 672 PLN
Additional costs: 77 PLN (pail and wet bag) + 540 PLN (laundry) = 617 PLN
Total: 1289 PLN
Even if you double the diaper cost for subsequent children, the difference remains substantial!

Conclusion: Is Using Reusable Diapers Worth It?
The difference is clear—using reusable diapers saves 2505 PLN over the entire diapering period. That’s a significant amount of money.

Moreover, the cost of reusable diapers decreases if used for a second child (or more). While this cost isn’t immediately noticeable (as it spreads out over the two-year period), it can be quite impactful. As financial expert Michał Szafrański notes, if the money saved from diapers were invested in a proper savings account, it could amount to as much as 9600 PLN by the time the child reaches adulthood. Not bad, right?

Also, it’s often mentioned that children who use reusable diapers tend to potty train earlier, which further contributes to savings.

It’s worth considering reusable diapers from an economic standpoint.

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